Old Ben No. 11 Mine Explosion

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Old Ben Coal Corporation
Old Ben No. 11 Mine Explosion

Christopher, Franklin County, Illinois
November 29, 1917
No. Killed - 17

1918 Illinois Dept. of Mines Annual Report

1917 Illinois Coal Fatalities (9.5 Mb)

Cause of Explosion: Explosion probably caused by gas ignition by an open light.

See more disasters probably caused by smoking articles or open lights.

See also:	Old Ben No. 8 Mine Explosion, Dec. 1, 1929
	Old Ben No. 8 Mine Explosion, July 24, 1947

In the News
	The Taylorville Daily Breeze Courier, Nov. 30, 1917
	Quad-City Times, Nov. 30, 1917
	Chronicle Tribune, Nov. 30, 1917
	The Daily Times, Nov. 30, 1917
	Kenosha News, Nov. 30, 1917

18 Men Trapped in Mine Explosion
The Pinnacle News, Middlesboro, Bell County, Kentucky
December 1, 1917

Christopher, Ill., Dec. 1. -- Rescuers worked all night in an effort to reach the 18 miners trapped on the 600-foot level of the New North mine of the Old Ben Coal Corporation here. An explosion last night wrecked the main and the air shafts.

Rescue parties from Benton and Hortin reached the scene a few hours after the explosion and aided the men already on the ground. That only 18 men were caught in the mine was due to the fact that Thursday was a holiday and the remainder of the 700 employes were not at work.

Officials of the company say they have been unable to learn the cause of the explosion, as no unusual amount of gas had been noted in the mine.

So great was the force of the explosion that wreckage was blown a thousand yards, a cage being hurled through the top of the tipple house, wrecking the cage transportation machinery.

The imprisoned men were employed in repairing shafts and at various other work after the mine had closed down for the day.